This blog was created by the Purdue Beef Team as an educational forum for beef producers and Extension educators. It includes timely news, issues, and management tips that have the potential to affect the beef business and decision-making process. Opinions expressed in the news clips do not necessarily represent those of Purdue University or the beef industry.

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture has voted to work legislatively to remove cattle from the so-called J-list, a list of commodities exempt from bearing a permanent mark of country of origin.

NASDA holds that such a permanent mark would make it easier to isolate and treat animals if a dangerous animal disease, such as foot and mouth or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, were to be discovered in the originating country’s herd.

The resolution says in part that cattle should be so identified to “allow animal health authorities to identify imported cattle, which is critical due to the potential importation of animals previously and unknowingly exposed to potential new and emerging diseases, or diseases with long incubation periods, such as BSE and tuberculosis, where the need to locate these animals may not be realized until many years after importation.”

Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, which has fought the importation of cattle from countries with histories of animal diseases, saluted the move and urged its members to assist in lobbying Congress to write and pass such a bill.

Share this:

Like this:

Ken Albrecht was optimistic that growing climbing beans with corn would increase silage yield and protein content. It looked like a good way for Wisconsin dairymen to cut feed costs.

But now he’s not sure.

“It seemed like it was going to be a very useful system,” says Albrecht, a University of Wisconsin agronomist. “But based on our results, it may not be worth the extra trouble.”

In two years of research at two locations, he and graduate research assistant Kevin Armstrong grew corn with three species of climbing beans: lablab, velvet bean and scarlet runner. In each case, the beans were planted 6” from the corn rows two to four weeks after the corn was planted.

FRANKFORT, Ind. (AP)–Hog manure from area farms could provide power for more than 200 homes along with the suppliers, supporters of the plan told Clinton County officials, according to an article in the Journal and Courier newspaper.

The report delivered to county commissioners and council members on Monday was the result of an eight-month, $75,000 study paid for by the city of Frankfort, Clinton County and the federal government.

The plan would hinge on a $5.5 million biorefinery that would convert waste piped in from hog farms into methane gas and carbon dioxide gas, the newspaper reported. The gases would power generators that would send power back to the farms and homes, said Gina Sheets, economic development director for the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce.

Contact: Dr. David Renter of Kansas State University, 785-532-4801, or drenter@vet.k-state.edu

MANHATTAN, Kan., Sept. 26 /U.S. Newswire/ — E. coli O157:H7, which has been linked to the current spinach outbreak, is not just found in cattle fed on a diet of strictly grains, according to a veterinarian at Kansas State University.

“Cattle fed on grass, hay and other fibrous forage can have E. coli O157:H7 in their feces as can other animals including deer, sheep, goats, bison, opossum, raccoons, birds and many others,” said Dr. David Renter, assistant professor of veterinary epidemiology.

“While many media outlets have recently stated E. coli O157:H7 can be avoided by feeding cattle grass only, this is not the case,” Renter said.

Share this:

Like this:

ICA of Texas’ Cattle Drives lead the way for fundraising, view sharing

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition, Country World

Sept. 28, 2006 – The Independent Cattlemen’s Association (ICA) of Texas was in high gear in Giddings on Sept. 18 and offered those present at the Lee Livestock Barn the opportunity to bid on an animal to help with the annual “Cattle Drive” fundraiser.

According to Executive Director Bill Hyman, “Cattle Drive” auctions are being conducted at 13 different sale barn locations over Texas to help provide funding to support ICA’s effort to inform the Texas Legislature of cattlemen’s needs.

Share this:

Like this:

USDA reports a 10 percent increase in the number of cattle being fed for slaughter.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reports a 10 percent increase in the number of cattle and calves on feed for slaughter in U.S. feedlots with capacities of 1,000 or more head on September 1, 2006, compared to the number of cattle and calves in feedlots on September 1, 2005.

The feedlot cattle inventory on September 1, 2006 totaled 11.0 million head. NASS pointed out that this was the highest September 1 inventory since the series began in 1996.

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP)–Western Kentucky farmers are fretting over extensive damage to their crops from the weekend’s downpours that flooded fields with up to 10 inches of rain.

“None of us know for sure what’s going to happen to us because we’ve never seen rain like this at this time of year,” said Wayne Mathis, who has 270 acres of soybeans submerged in the Melber area of McCracken County. “It’s really a wait-and-see kind of situation.”